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One of the main challenges of taking a road trip is finding room for all of your gear in your car, and the temptation to pack light often leads to forgotten necessities. A carefully thought-out checklist on what to pack for a road trip might not protect you from the endless chorus of “are we there yet?” from the back seat, but it might help you avoid overcrowding the car or forgetting an important item.

Items for Use in the Car

Sometimes you will need items for the car that you would not need if traveling by air. Consider packing a pillow for your passengers to use if they sleep. Consider entertainment options, too. For older travelers, books or hand-held video games work well. For youngsters, pack a bag of new discount-store toys, coloring books, crayons or washable markers to use while traveling. Throw a few towels into an easily accessible bag to help clean up spills or accidents in the car. Add your GPS, maps and car chargers for important electronics to your list as well.

Clothing

Often driving vacations mean staying in more than one hotel over the course of a trip. To cut down on the amount of luggage you must drag into each hotel, pack one clothing bag per hotel stay, instead of one clothing bag per person. When you arrive at your first hotel, grab the bag with the clothing for that stay, and leave the other bags in the car.

Travel Safety Items

Pack a small box with travel safety items. Flares, jumper cables, a first aid kit and a small case of tools will come in handy if you have a problem with your car or physical injury while on the road. Also place a flashlight, batteries, a pocketknife and a wind-up radio in the kit.

Cards and Documents

Make sure all drivers in your group have their driver’s licenses in case you want to take a break from driving. Pack your insurance cards, credit cards, traveler’s checks and any phone numbers associated with these. Put the phone numbers in a separate location so you can call the companies if someone steals your wallet or purse.

Toiletries and Medication

Keep the items you need while driving easily accessible. For instance, if you wear glasses or sunglasses while driving, keep your lens cleaning supplies handy. A passenger who wishes to sleep might want ear plugs. If you travel during the night and want young children to sleep, place their toothbrushes and toothpaste in an accessible location so they can brush their teeth at a stop along the way before going to sleep. Consider packing motion sickness medication in case someone gets car sick.

Items for Young Children

If you have young children or babies traveling with you, make sure you pack their favorite stuffed animal or blanket to serve as a comfort item. Also, bring more diapers than you think you need, leaving plenty of them easily accessible in the car. Pack a full container of wet wipes to clean up from diaper changes, meals and snacks. Place extra pacifiers within your reach so you can pass them to your baby when needed, since babies often drop these while traveling.

Food and Drink

Getting a snack at the gas station while traveling adds up to a significant bill if you have a full car. Cut down on your expenses by packing food and drinks. Invest in a small cooler to keep bottled water, juice or soda cold. Pack snacks, like crackers or granola bars, that do not create a lot of mess or make fingers sticky. Add napkins or paper towels to the snack box to help with cleanup. You can even pack sandwiches to cover one of your on-the-road meals.

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About the Author

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006, specializing in real estate, finance and travel. When she's not writing, she enjoys traveling and has visited several countries, including Israel, Spain, France and Guam. Harms received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Maranatha Baptist Bible College.

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